Satellite communication system

• US 3,340,531 A
• Filed: 10/05/1964
• Issued: 09/05/1967
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1964
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur A. Segal, George P. Kefalas, Robert E. Mallison
• Original Assignee: Arthur A. Segal, George P. Kefalas, Robert E. Mallison
• Inventors: Kefalas, George P., Mallison, Robert E., Segal, Arthur A.
• Application Number:
  US04/401,360
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• US Class Current: 342/353
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/42 the desired condition being maintained automatically
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/195 Non-synchronous stations

Claims

9. A SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM OF THE TYPE IN WHICH A PLURALITY OF TRANSPORTABLE GROUND TERMINALS POSITIONED ON THE EARTH'"'"''"'"'S SURFACE ARE INTER-LINKED FOR COMMUNICATION BY A PLURALITY OF REPEATER SATELLITES ORBITING ABOUT THE EARTH, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING:

(A) A TRANSMITTER IN EACH OF SAID SATELLITES FOR CONTINUOUSLY TRANSMITTING A BEACON CODE SO AS TO DISTINGUISH EACH SATELLITE FROM EACH OTHER SATELLITE;

(B) A LINEAR, PHASED-ARRAY, ANTENNA NETWORK IN EACH OF SAID GROUND TERMINALS FOR PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT FAN BEAMS WHICH ARE CAPABLE OF SCANNING OVER THE VISIBLE HEMISPHERE AND TRACKING ANY OF SAID SATELLITES WHICH ARE IN THE FIELD OF VIEW OF SAID ANTENNA NETWORK WITHOUT REQUIRING EPHEMERIS DATA OF SATELLITE POSITION WITH RESPECT TO TIME, SAID ANTENNA NETWORK HAVING A PLURALITY OF RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT PORTS RESPECTIVELY CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER OF SAID RECEIVE AND TRANSMITT FAN BEAMS;

(C) A PROGRAMMER IN EACH OF SAID GROUND TERMINALS FOR SYNCHRONOUSLY STEERING SAID RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT FAN BEAMS OVER THE VISIBLE HEMISPHERE, THEREBY SEARCHING FOR ALL SATELLITES IN THE FIELD OF VIEW OF SAID GROUND TERMINALS AND ESTABLISHING A PLURALITY OF INTERCOMMUNICATION LINKS BETWEEN PRESELECTED GROUPS OF SAID GROUND TERMINALS;

(D) A FIRST SWITCHING NETWORK CONTROLLED BY SAID PROGRAMMER FOR SEQUENTIALLY SAMPLING EACH OF SAID RECEIVER PORTS, SAID SWITCHING NETWORK HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTPUT PORTS RESPECTIVELY CORRESPONDING TO SAID RECEIVE PORTS;

(E) AN ACQUISITION AND TRACKING RECEIVER COUPLED TO SAID FRIST SWITCHING NETWORK FOR DECODING ALL BEACON CODES RECEIVED BY SAID ANTENNA NETWORK AND COUPLING TO SAID PROGRAMMER THE BEACON CODE OF ONLY THOSE SATELLITES OF THE SYSTEM WHICH ARE CAPABLE OF INTERLINKING ANY PRESELECTED GROUP OF SAID GROUND OF TERMINALS OVER ONE OF SAID INTERCOMMUNICATION LINKS;

(F) A PLURALITY OF DEMODULATORS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT PORTS OF SAID FIRST SWITCHING NETWORK FOR INDEPENDENTLY DETECTING AND REPRODUCING INTELLIGENCE RESPECTIVELY RECEIVED BY SAID ANTENNA NETWORK OVER SAID INTERCOMMUNICATION LINKS;

(G) A PLURALITY OF TRANSMITTERS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF SAID RECEIVERS, FOR INDEPENDENTLY DEVELOPING INTELLIGENCE TO BE RESPECTIVELY TRANSMITTED BY SAID ANTENNA NETWORK OVER SAID INTERCOMMUNICATION LINKS;

AND (H) A SECOND SWITCHING NETWORK HAVING A PLURALITY OF INPUT AND OUTPUT PORTS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF SAID TRANSMITTERS, SAID SECOND SWITCHING NETWORK INPUT PORTS BEING RESPECTIVELY COUPLED TO SAID TRANSMITTERS AND SAID SECOND SWITCHING NETWORK OUTPUT PORTS BEING RESPECTIVELY COUPLED TO SAID TRANSMIT PORTS OF SAID ANTENNA NETWORK, THEREBY RESPECTIVELY COUPLING SAID INTELLIGENCE TO BE TRANSMITTED TO SAID INTERCOMMUNICATION LINKS.